Mycobacterium avium subspecies avium is the most important cause of avian tuberculosis, a chronic disease in many birds. Depending on the infected organs, the clinical manifestations of the disease are usually non-specific and variable. The increasing risk of the disease spreading to the human population has increased the importance of diagnosing this disease in birds. Therefore, the present study investigated avian tuberculosis infection in several lofts of domestic pigeons in Markazi Province, Iran. 12 pigeons from different suspected pigeon lofts were collected, fed a proper ration, and kept under suitable condition. All the pigeons underwent radiographic imaging in lateral and ventrodorsal positions after recording clinical manifestations. Then, they were euthanized and subjected to necropsy examinations. In the necropsy examinations, lesions were sampled, and if no lesion was seen, samples were taken from the liver, then delivered to the tuberculosis reference laboratory and cultured in LJG, LJP, H, and HM culture media. Finally, the grown colonies were tested using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with the primers of 16S rRNA, IS1245, and IS901. The most prominent clinical manifestations in the infected pigeons included cachexia and articular swelling in wings and legs, while the most common radiographic findings were peri-articular inflammation and renomegaly. Moreover, nodules and lesions in the liver, the gastrointestinal tract, and the abdominal cavity were the most prevalent in necropsy findings. The culture, Ziehl–Neelsen staining results, and PCR test confirmed the infection of all 12 pigeons with Mycobacterium. avium subspecies avium. Also, the radiographic and necropsy findings showed the destructive effect of avian tuberculosis on the infected pigeons.
A Tue, study studied this question.